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County decides medical marijuana zoning rules

Baltimore County is the first jurisdiction in Maryland to put zoning rules in place for medical marijuana, even before licenses have been issued. Since state lawmakers made it legal to sell medical marijuana, it's now up to the individual counties to come up with zoning areas for medical marijuana growers, manufacturers and dispensaries. According to the new rules set Tuesday night, busy corridors, like York Road, and not-so-traveled areas, like Allegheny Avenue, could be prime spots for medical pot shops.

Baltimore County is the first jurisdiction in Maryland to put zoning rules in place for medical marijuana, even before licenses have been issued. Since state lawmakers made it legal to sell medical marijuana, it's now up to the individual counties to come up with zoning areas for medical marijuana growers, manufacturers and dispensaries. According to the new rules set Tuesday night, busy corridors, like York Road, and not-so-traveled areas, like Allegheny Avenue, could be prime spots for medical pot shops.

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Updated: 6:20 PM EDT Sep 9, 2015

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WEBVTT BUSY QUARRY DOORS -- CORE DOORS -- COULD BE A PRIME SPOT FOR THESE DISPENSARIES. IT WAS AN INTERESTING DILEMMA FOR COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ALL OVER THE STATE, AND BALTIMORE COUNTY DECIDED IT WAS GOING TO BE THE FIRST, TO ACTUALLY ZONE FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROWERS, MANUFACTURERS AND DISPENSARIES. WE DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO GIVE CERTAINTY TO RESIDENTS, PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO BUSINESS, WE WANTED TO BE PROACTIVE. REPORTER: 2ND DISTRICT COUNCILWOMAN VICKI ALMOND, SPEARHEADED THE BIPARTASIAN BILL, WHICH PASSED UNANIMOUSLY TUESDAY NIGHT. ALMOND SAYS GROWING AND MANUFACTURING FACILITIES WOULD BE LIMITED TO INDUSTRIAL AREAS AROUND THE COUNTY, WITH DISPENSARIES LOCATED IN BUSINESS DISTRICTS LIKE ALONG YORK, LIBERTY AND REISTERSTOWN ROADS DISPENSORS CAN ALSO LOCATE IN COMMERCIAL REVITALIZATION DISTRICTS, LIKE HISTORIC REISTERSTOWN, BUT NEED SPECIAL EXEMPTIONS. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT AS LONG AS IT'S FOR MEDICAL REASONS IT'S GOING TO BE RESTRICTED IN SOME MEASURE SO IF IT BRINGS MORE BUSINESS THAT'S GREAT. REPORTER: BARBARA BURDETTE HAS OWNED THE ELEPHANTS TRUNK COSIGNMENT SHOP IN HISTORIC REISTERSTOWN FOR 5 YEARS, AND SAYS ANY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WOULD BE WELCOME ON MAIN STREET. RESIDENTS THOUGH, WHO LIVE NEAR BY, LIKE CALVIN MARCUS WORRY ABOUT PEOPLE ABUSING THE SYSTEM. I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT MESHES HERE RIGHT NOW, THIS IS A HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD AND I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY TARNISH THE IMAGE OF REISTERSTOWN. REPORTER: THE DISPENSARIES MUST ALSO BE 500 FEET FROM SCHOOLS, NOT ONLY TO PROTECT CHILDREN NOW, BUT ALSO IF RECREATIONAL USE BECOMES LEGAL DOWN THE ROAD. LICENCES WILL BE TOUGH TO GET AS WELL, 15 FOR MANUFACTORING AND 15 FOR PROCESSING IN THE COUNTY. TH E TIMETABLE IS UP IN THE AIR. WHEN EXACTLY MARYLAND-GROWN MARIJUANA WILL SHOW UP ON DISPENSARIES IS ANYBODY'S GUESS.

County decides medical marijuana zoning rules

Baltimore County is the first jurisdiction in Maryland to put zoning rules in place for medical marijuana, even before licenses have been issued. Since state lawmakers made it legal to sell medical marijuana, it's now up to the individual counties to come up with zoning areas for medical marijuana growers, manufacturers and dispensaries. According to the new rules set Tuesday night, busy corridors, like York Road, and not-so-traveled areas, like Allegheny Avenue, could be prime spots for medical pot shops.